Child rights advocates push for smoke, vape-free environments as bill eyes expanded restrictions

MANILA — Six in 10 Filipino students aged 13 to 15 are exposed to secondhand cigarette smoke in outdoor and enclosed public spaces, raising concerns among health and child rights advocates about the effects of smoking on young people.

Data from the 2024 Global Youth Tobacco Survey, released to civil society organizations in September, also showed that four in 10 students in the same age group are exposed to secondhand smoke inside their own homes.

Secondhand smoke refers to the smoke released by burning tobacco products and the smoke exhaled by smokers. Non-smokers who inhale it may be exposed to harmful substances even if they do not smoke themselves.

For non-smokers like Lucita Españo, avoiding exposure can be difficult, particularly in public spaces.

“Masakit sa ilong. Siyempre kumakapit sa damit,” España said.

(It’s painful to breathe in and the smell clings to clothes.)

She added that people often have little choice but to move away or cover their noses when they encounter smokers.

Daniel Dela Cruz, another non-smoker, urged authorities to ensure that smoking areas do not expose other people to cigarette smoke.

“Ang advice ko lang sana, may mga designated smoking area na lang na hindi nakakaapekto ng ibang tao,” he said, adding that secondhand smoke can harm people’s health.

(My advice is to have designated smoking areas that don’t affect others.)

Beyond exposure to secondhand smoke, the survey also highlighted tobacco and vape use among Filipino adolescents.

One in 14 students aged 13 to 15 currently uses cigarettes and heated tobacco products, while one in eight currently uses e-cigarettes, according to the survey findings.

Health and child rights advocates warn that young people’s exposure to tobacco and vaping products may contribute to continued use as they grow older. They have also raised concerns about the accessibility and appeal of colorful, flavored vape products to adolescents.

Maria Aurora Quilala, convenor of the Child’s Rights Network, questioned whether products promoted as alternatives to conventional cigarettes are reaching their intended adult market.

“Pero ang tanong namin, kung para pala siya sa smokers at adults, bakit ang market mga kabataan? Bakit 13 to 15 years old nakikita natin, bakit ginagawang available for them?” Quilala said.

(Our question is, if it is for smokers and adults, why is it marketed to the youth? Why are we seeing 13- to 15-year-olds? Why is it available to them?)

Advocates are calling for stronger measures to prevent minors from accessing tobacco and vaping products and to protect children from exposure to smoke and aerosols in public places.

One legislative proposal seeks to strengthen existing restrictions by expanding smoke-free and vape-free areas, removing designated indoor smoking areas and increasing support for enforcement.

Albay 1st District Rep. Cielo Krisel Lagman, who authored the proposed measure, said the bill would prohibit designated smoking areas inside buildings and expand restrictions to properties frequented by the public, particularly children.

She added that the measure would broaden the coverage of non-smoking and non-vaping areas, including privately-owned properties that are open to the public and frequently visited by children.

Lagman also stressed the importance of providing local government units with dedicated funding to implement anti-smoking and anti-vaping programs.

The proposal also seeks to increase penalties for violations, with the aim of discouraging people from smoking or vaping in prohibited areas.

“Kung gusto mo magsigarilyo, bahala ka. Magsigarilyo ka, pero huwag mo nga a-affect ang health ko na hindi ako nagsisigarilyo,” Lagman said.

(If you want to smoke, go ahead. But don’t affect my health as someone who doesn’t smoke.) 

Making smoking less convenient in public spaces, according to her, could encourage people to reconsider the habit, particularly when doing so would expose others to smoke. The proposed measure would need to go through the legislative process before its provisions could become law.

The World Health Organization estimates that tobacco-related diseases kill around 112,000 Filipinos each year, underscoring the health burden associated with tobacco consumption.

Smoking restrictions and measures to discourage tobacco and vape use among young people are among the interventions advocated by civil society groups seeking to reduce preventable health risks.

Advocates say a comprehensive approach should combine stronger restrictions on where smoking and vaping are allowed, measures to prevent youth access to these products, effective enforcement and adequate funding for local anti-smoking programs.

They view these measures as part of efforts to advance the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 3, which aims to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for people of all ages.